Bank-protecting device



July 31, 1923.

C. A. MAZZIE BANK PROTECTING DEVICE Filed April 4. 1921 3 Shoots-Shoot BY X ATTOR July 31, 1923.

C. A. MAZZIE BANK PROTECTING 'DEVICE Filed April 4, 1921 3 5hIOtI-Sh60t 2 INVENTOR July 31 1923. 1,463,368

C. A. MAZZIE BANK PROTECTING DEVICE Filed Ap'ril 4, 1921 ShOOtI-Shilf. 5

l/l/IZ I 83 a. INVENTOR (Mr/m fl/Vaglk BY ATTORNEY Patented July 31, 1923.

UNITED STATES CHARLES A. 11.52213, 0! DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BAHK-PBOTECTING DEVICE.

Application fled April 4, 1921. Serial No. 458,585.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. Mnzzm, a citizen of the United States, residin at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michi an, have invented a certain new and useful mprovement in Bank-Protectin Devices, and declare the following to be a' 11, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a art of this specification.

This invention relates to bank protecting devices and the object of the invention is to provide a means for protecting a bank against robbery and holdups. Another object of the invention is to provide a device for protecting a bank cage consistin of a grille which may be closed to entire y enclose the said cage. Another ob'ect of the invention is to provide a grille or a bank cage consistin of a series of vertically positioned para lel shutters adapted to be closed instantly from any point in the cage. Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism whereby a bank cage may be entirely enclosed, the operation of the mechanism also closing a pair of doors provided for the tellers window, it being impossible to open the said doors from the outside of the cage when once closed. A still further object of the invention is to provide a grille for a bank cage consisting of shutters pivoted to turn on a vertical axis, which may be instantly closed from the interior of the cage by a slight pull on a rope provided therein. These objects and the several novel features of the invention are hereinafter more fuly described and claimed and the referred form of construction b which t ese objects are attained is shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a view from the interior of the cages showing the shutters and doors for the tellers window in the closed position.

Fig. 2 is a view of the u per end of the corner post at the left 0 Fig. 1 partly broken away to show the construction.

Fig. 3 is a section through the corner post opposite to that shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a. section taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 2 with the shutters shown in the open position.

Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 4 showing the shutters inthe closed position.

Fig. 6 is a section showing the controlling mechanism for the shutters.

Fig. 7 is section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view of the spring tension adjustin mechanism, provi ed in the lower end 0 the corner post.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged section taken on line 99 of Fig. 7.

. Fig. 10 is a. section taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of one of the supports for t e upper end of' the shutters.

Fig. 12 is a view of the doors for closing the tellers window looking from the interior of the cage and shown in the closed position. F Fig. 13 is a section taken on line 13-13 of Fig. 14 is an enlarged section taken on line 14-14 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged section taken on line 15-15 of Fig. 13. i

Fig. 16 is an elevation of one of the supports for the lower ends of the shutters.

Fig. 17 is a plan view of the spring retaining clip for use with the door closing mechanism.

Fig. 18 is a side elevation thereof.

The bank cage as shown in Fig. 1, con sists of a solid iower wall 1 which is usually made of marble or the like and provided with a counter 2. On the upper part of the portion 1 is a grille 3 which, as shown in ig. 2, consists of a corner post 4 and a series of metal shutters 5 which may be utilized in place of the usual bank grille. Supported on the corner post 4 is an angle iron member 6 which is provided with a series of apertures therethrough to receive the bearing member 7. These bearin members, as shown more particularly in ig. 10 are each slotted to receive the upper end of a shutter 5 and are secured thereto by screws or rivets 8. As shown in Figs. 10 and 11 each member 7 is provided with a flange 9 adapted to engage against the an le iron member 6 and the members 7 are a so provided with a rounded portion 10 fitting the apertures in.the angle iron member 6 and the upper end 11 thereof is flattened and adapted to fit apertures therefor in the members 12 and a washer 13 is then secured to the part 11 by the screws 14 to hold the levers 12 thereon. At the lower edge of the grille and supported on the adjacent 6 and are secured to the shutters by edge of the counter 2 is a bar apertured to receive the bearing members 16 which are shown more particularly in Fig. 16. These members 16 are formed in two halvles t e screws 17 and are each provided with a flange 18 and a lower rounded portion 19 fitting in the said bar 15. As shown in Fig. 5 a movable bar 20 extends across the front 10 of the cage at the top and the outer end of each lever 12 is pivotallyflsecured to the said bar. The end of the r 20 adJacent the corner post 4 is enlarged and provided with an aperture 21. Within the corner post 4,

18 as shown in Fig. 6, is a tubular shaft 22 having a solid bearing end 23 secured therein adapted to rotate on the conical head of the bolt 24 in the bearing 25. The shaft 22 at the upper end, as shown in Fig. 2, is provided with a member 26 secured therein, the member 26 being formed with an arm 27 having a pin in the outer end thereof on which is rotatably mounted rollers 28 and 29. Across the end of the cage is a bar 30 S8 to which the levers 12 for the shutters at the end of the cage are pivotally connected .as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This bar 30 is provided with an enlarged end having an a erture 31 therein. As shown in Fig. 2,

80 t e roller 28 is rotatable in the aperture 21 of the bar 20 and the roller 29 is rotatable in the aperture 31 in the bar 30 and a bearing 32 is provided within the corner post 4 in which the tubular shaft 22 is rotatable.

85 When the shutters are in the open position 25 being riveted to the bottom of the box by the rivets 34. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7 secured to the tubular shaft 22 by a set screw 35 isalever 36 havingahandle 37 and an adjusting screw 38 which is adapted to contact the rubber bumper 39 when the lever is moved to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7. About the shaft 22 is a coiled spring 40 the lower end of which is turned down and extends between the set screw 35 and lever 36 as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The upper end of the said spring is provided with a horizontal extending portion 41 adapted to engage in the slot 42 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. Should the tension of the spring be not sufficient to turn the lever 36 to the dotted position shown in Fig. 7 when released, the tension thereof may be increased by placing the end 41 in an one of the series of notches 43 shown in ig. 8. As shown in F ig. 7 a latch 44 is provided which is secured to a shaft 45 rotatably mounted in a bracket 46 and a spring 47 is interposed between the end of the latch 44 and the adjacent wall of the casing 33 tending to yieldlngly resist movement of the lever 44 to the dotted position shown in Fig. 7. The lower end of the shaft 45 is supported in a bracket 48 and on the lower end of the shaft is a lever 49 pivotally secured at the outer end to a lever 50. This lever 50 is pivotally secured to an arm 51 and is provided with a shoulder 52 against which a set screw 53 is adapted to engage. This set screw 53 is threaded through a lug 54 on the lever 51 and the lever 51 is provided with a collar 55 seating on' the flange 56 of a metal sleeve 57, as shown more particularly in Fig. 9. This sleeve 57 extends downwardly through the bottom of the casing 33 and through a portion 58 of the counter 2 which is usually of marble or like material. A washer 59 is interposed over the depending end of the sleeve 57 and is secured in place by a nut 60 which also secures the sleeve 57 in place. The lever 51 is formed integrally with a shaft 61 which is provided with a squared lowered end 62 on which is positioned a lever 63 to which a rope 64 is secured. A nut 65 is threaded on the lower end of the shaft 61 and holds the lever 63 in position, a lock nut 66 being provided to prevent removal of the nut 65. The rope 64, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1, extends along beneath the counter 2 and passes over a pulley 67 and thence downward around a pulley 68 and thence parallel with the floor beneath the tellers Window and around a pulley 69. The portion of the rope 64 between the pulleys 68 and 69 is adapted to he stepped on by the teller to pull the lever 63 shown in Fig. 9 and close the shutters and doors for the tellers window. The rope 64 extends from the pulley 69 over a pulley 70 and thence along beneath the counter 2 where it may be easily reached by hand and pulled. Where the cages are arranged in a bank side by side so that the front of each cage is the only part exposed the rope 64 continues along the front and beneath each tellers window as shown in Fig. 1. In a small bank where the cage is exposed on three or four sides the rope 64 extends around the four sides of the cage beneath the counter 2 the opposite end of the rope being secured to the lug 71 of the Washer 59 which is solidly secured in position so that a pull on the rope is applied to move the lever 63 only. In case the cage is exposed on three sides the cage is provided with a corner post 72 adjacent the end of the bar 30 shown in Fig. 3. A bracket 73 is secured to the post 72 and supports a bell IOU crank 74 havin 0. depending pin 75 in one end thereof. e bar 30 is provided with a slot in the end thereof shown m dotted lines in Fig. 3, in which the pin 75 engages, the bar 30, lever 12 and shutters being in the closed position in Fig. 3. On the opposite arm of the bell crank 74 is a depending pin 76 engaging in a slot 77 in the end of a bar 78 to which the levers 12 on the third side of the cage are pivoted. \Vhen the shutters are opened by moving the bar 30 from the position shown in Fig. to that shown in Fig. 4 the bar 30 shown in Fig. 3

I is moved toward the right thus turning the bell crank 74 and moving the bar 78 to open the shutters on the third side of the cage. To provide a closing means for the fourth side of the cage a device similar to that shown in Fig. 3 is provided for the opposite end of the bar 20 shown in Fig. 5. As shown in F igs. 12 and 13 a pair of doors 79 are provided for closing the tellers window and are hinged at 80. These doors are of heavy sheet metal and when the doors are open, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 13, a latch member 81 engages in a notch in the upper edge of each door and holds the door open against the tension of the spring 82. As shown in Fig. 15 the latch member 81 is mounted on the squared end 83 of a member 84 and is held in place by a screw head 85, the member 84 being rotatably mounted in a frame member 86 about the opening in the tellers window and a shutter 5 being secured in the upper end of each member 84. The shutter 5 for each member 84 is controlled by the bar 20 shown in Fig. 5 and is turned with the remainder of the shutters about the cage, the turning of the shutters for the members 84 moving the members 81 from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 13 to the position shown in full lines therein, thereby releasing the doors to close by the springs 82. The s rings 82, as shown more particularly in ig. 12, consist of two oppositely wound coils connected together at the center by a portion 87. The op osite ends of the coils are secured to the s eet metal frame 88 at each side of the tellers window by clips 89. Secured to each door on the inner side is a toothed member 90 shown more particularly in Fig. 14. The member 90 shown in Fi 14 is secured to the door at the right of Figs. 12 and 13 and due to the center of the spring 82 being behind the hinge 80 the end of the spring 87 will be in the dotted po'sition 87" when the door is opened. As the door is closed by tension of the spring 82 the portion 87 of the spring moves backward notch by notch due to the spring center being behind the hinge 80 and due to this engagement of the spring 87 in the teeth '91 it is impossible to open the doors from the outside when once closed. The doors 79 are each provided with an arcuate notch forming an aperture 92 when closed and, to hold. the adjacent end of the coils of the :pring 82' in position I provide a clip 93 as own in Fi 17 and 18. These clips are secured to t e frame 88 and are provided with ends 94 engaging in each sprin coil. By this construction should pressure be ap plied to the outer faces of the doors 79 the members 87 will be held from endwise movement by the clips 93 which hold the spring coils in position and thus he doors are prevented from being opened. A lug 94, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 12, is provided against which the doors 79 may shut, the lug 94 providing a stop for the said doors. he doors 79 are also provided with lugs 95 adapted when opened to engage over a lug 96 on a stationary frame part 97, and a pin may be inserted through the apertures in the lugs 95 and 96 to hold the doors open prior to engaging the latch members 81 in the notches therefor in the doors and a lug 98 may be provided to hold the said pins when not in use. The aperture 92 is provided in the doors so that should a robber pass his hand and gun into the tellers window the shutters may be closed by stepping on the rope 64 which also allows the doors to close under tension of the springs 82, the portion of the doors about the aperture 92 engaging the robbers wrist. To prevent the robber from shooting the teiler a sheet metal armour plate 99 is provided slidably mounted in ways 100 provided on the under side of the counter 2. A spring 101 is secured to the plate 99 at the lower end and to the counter 2 at the upper end, the spring being under tension and being adapted to raise the plate 99 through a slot 102 provided in the counter 2. To hold the plate 99 from moving upward in the slot 102 when the shutters and doors are opened I provide a pair of lovers 103 pivoted at 104 on the counter 2 and being adapted to be placed in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 13 when the doors are open, the ends 105 engaging over the upper edge of the plate 99 at each end. When the doors are closed due to the end 106 of the members 103 being in the path of movement of the doors the same are turned to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 13, which moves the ends 105 off from the edge of the plate 99 and allows the same to move upward by action of the spring 101, the plate being positioned between the teller and the robber before the doors 79 are entirely closed. A hinged plate may be provided over the slot 102 so that the counter is provided with a smooth surface the hinged plate being adapted to turn out of the way when the plate 99 is moved u ward by the spring 101.

n operation the lever 36 is locked in the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7 by'the latch member 44 the shutters at this time being opened as shown and the doors for the tollers window being also in the open position indicated by dotted lines 79 in Fig. 13. The (1001's 79 are held in the open osition by the latch members 81 which, w en the shutters are opened, are in the dotted position shown in Fig. 13, and which hold the doors 0 en. When the lever 36 is in the position s own in Fig. 7 the arm 27 in the upper end of the tubular shaft 22 and levers for controlling the shutters'are in the open position shown in Fig. 4. When the parts are in the open position as described the appearance of the cage is not unlike the ordinary bank cage. but should a robber enter the bank and attempt to hold up the teller, the teller may step on the rope 64 directly beneath the tellers window, or anyone within the cage may pull on the rope which extends beneath the counter. This movement of the rope turns the lever 63, shown more particularly in Fig. 9, which turns the lever 51 which moves the lever 50 endwise and thus moves the lever 49 and latch 44 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7 thereby releasing the lever 36 to action by the springs 40, the said spring being of suflicient tension to turn the lever 36 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, which turns the shaft 22 and arm 27 from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5, the said movement of thearm 27 moving the rods 20 and 30 to turn the shutters 5 to the closed position as will be readily understood and as shown in Fig. 5. The movement of the rod 20 also turns the shutters 5. shown in Fig. 12, which moves the latch member 81 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 13 thus releasing the doors 79 to action by the springs 82 which instantly close the doors. It will be noted that should the robber, in holding up the teller, advance his gun and hand through the tellers window the doors 79 which are each recessed will engage the robbers wrist in closing and the robbers wrist will be tightly held in the aperture 92 it being impossible for the robber to open the doors on account of the spring ends 87 engaging in the teeth 91 of the members 90. To prevent the teller from being shot I provide a shield 99 which is held in the lower position shown in Fig. 12 by the ends 105 of the levers 103 engaging over the upper edge thereof. Before the doors are closed these levers 103 are positioned in the path of movement of the doors, as shown in dotted lines, and as the'doors swing closed the levers are turned to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 13 which moves the ends of the levers ofi' from the edge of the shield 99 and allows the same to spring up through the slot 102 under action of the spring 101. This shield is positioned between the robber and teller and revents the teller from being shot by the rob r. The shutters and doors are c osed simultaneously and before the doors have become completely closed the shield 99 is released to action by the spring 101 as will be readily understood, so that the cage is entirely closed instantaneously. The shutters 5, as shown in Fig. 13, are made of metal plate of sufiicient thickness to withstand gun shots and the ends of the shutters 5 overlap, so that a continuous wall is provided when the cage is closed. A glass plate 107 is usually provided on the front of the cages and prevents the robber from inserting a. gun or lever between the shutters when open to prevent thesame from closing which might be done if the glass plates were not provided. To again set the device the s ring ends 87 are removed from the toothed members and the doors are swung open until the lugs 95 thereon engage over the stationary lugs 96. At this time a pin is inserted through the lugs 95 and 96 to hold the doors open and the spring ends 87 are released. \Vhile the doors are thus held open the shield 99 is pushed down through the slot 102 against the tension of the spring 101 and the levers 103 are turned to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 13, the ends 105 of the levers 103 engaging over the upper edge of the shield 99 and holding the same in the depressed position. The latch member 44 and levers 49, 50 and 51 are returned to the original position by the spring 47 after each actuation and to again open the shutters the door in the casing 33 is opened, the upper cover for the casing opening outwardly with the door as will be seen. The lever 36 is then moved by means of the handle 37 from the position shown in dotted lines to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 7 against the tension of the spring 40. As the lever 36 is moved to the position shown in full lines the latch 44, under action by the spring 47, engages over the end thereof and locks the lever in position. This movement of the lever 36 from the dotted position to the locked position turns the arm 27 from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 4 thus opening the shutters by means of the rods 20 and 30. As the shutters are opened the latches 81, shown more particularly in Fig. 13. are moved from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 13 to the position shown in dotted lines at which position the latches engage a notch in the upper edge of each door and lock the said doors in the open position. At this time the pin may be withdrawn from the lugs 95 and 96 ahd the doors will be held in the open position by the latches 81, the entire device at this time beili 'g set in position for closing by a pull on e rope 64. It is to be noted that the cage may be entirely enclosed b this device and should it be necessary a sheet metal top may be provided for the cage but is unnecessary w ere the grille of the cage extends to the ceiling of the building in which it is used. 1

From the fore ing description it becomes evident that the evice is very eificient in peration, of positive action and strong construction, is easily operated and reset and provides a device which accomplishes the objects desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, its utility and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A bank protecting device comprising a grille for a bank cage consisting of a series of vertical shutters ada ted to turn in a horizontal plane, the grille being provided with an opening, a pa1r of sprin actuated doors for closing the openin a s utter adjacent each door being rovi ed with means for holding the doors int e open position when the shutters are open, a spring tending to close the shutters, releasable means for holding the shutters open against the tension of the spring, and means for actuating the releasing mechanism from any point within the cage, the closing of the shutters releasing the said doors to actuation by the respective springs.

2. bank protecting device comprising a 'lle for a bank cage consisting of a series of shutters each adapted to turn on the longitudinal axis thereof, an opening in the said grille, a pair of spring actuated doors adapted to close the said opening, means controlled by the shutters for holding the doors open when the shutters are open, and means for releasing the doors to actuation by the respective springs when the shutters are closed.

3. A bank protecting device comprising a 'lle for a bank cage consisting of a series 0 vertical shutters adapted to turn in a horizontal plane, a frame member supporting the shutters at each end, a series of levers secured to the said shutters, a slotted bar to which the said levers are pivoted, a

shaft having an arm on the upper end thereof, a pin on the said arm engagin in the slot in the bar, a lever for turning the shaft to move the bar longitudinally to open or close the shutters, a ring tending to turn the shaft to close the utters, and releasable means engaging the said lever ada ted to prevent closing of the shutters the spring.

4. A bank protecting device comprising a grille for a bank cage consisting of a series of shutters each ada ted to turn on the longitudinal axis thereo an opening in the said grille, a pair of spring actuated doors adapted to close the said opening, a ratchet device on each door preventing o ening of the doors against the tension of t e ring, a latch for each door secured to an ad acent shutter and adapted to hold the doors open when the shutters are open, and means for releasing the said latches as the shutters are closed.

5. y A bank cage comprising an enclosed lower portion rovided with a counter having a slot therein, a grille for the upper part of the cage comprising a series of shutters adapted to turn on their longitudinal axes, an opening in the said grille, a pair of spring actuated doors for closing the said opening, a spring actuated shield behind the door movable throu h the slot in the said counter a lever ivote to the counter at each end of the s ot having a portion adapted to extend over the edge of the shield, the opposite ends of the levers extending in the path of movement of the said doors, a latch normally holding each door op when the shutters are open, and me l. for releasing the doors to actuation the ctive springs as the shutters/are closed, the closing of the doors moving the said levers to release the shieldto upward movement through the slot by action of the respective spring.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

' CHARLES A. MAZZIE. 

